Inflammatory disorders, including autoimmune diseases, are disorders involving abnormal activation and subsequent migration of white blood cells to affected areas of the body. These conditions encompass a wide range of ailments that affect the lives of millions of people throughout the world. Although various treatments are presently available, many possess significantly side effects or are not very effective in alleviating all symptoms. Thus, there are needs for anti-inflammatory agents for treating inflammatory disorders and needs for methods of identifying and evaluating such agents.
Immunoglobulin G (IgG) has long been appreciated to mediate both pro- and anti-inflammatory activities through interactions mediated by its Fc fragment. While Fc-FcyR interactions are responsible for the pro-inflammatory properties of immune complexes and cytotoxic antibodies, intravenous gamma globulin (IVIG) and its Fc fragments are anti-inflammatory and are widely used to suppress inflammatory diseases. It has been proposed that glycosylation of IgG is crucial for regulation of cytotoxicity and inflammatory potential of IgG. For example, it has been suggested that anti-inflammatory activity of IVIG is a property of the Fc fragment and its linked glycan, requiring terminal α.2,6 sialic acid linkages, indicating a combined requirement for the specific polypeptide backbone and glycan structure for immunosuppression. (Anthony, et al., 2008, Science 320: 373-376 and WO 2007/117505).
However, only a minor population of IgG in IVIG have glycans terminating in α2,6 sialic acids (sFc) and the anti-inflammatory activity. As a result, for the suppression of autoantibody triggered inflammation in a variety of clinical settings, one has to administer IVIG at high doses (1-2 g/kg), to enrich sialylated IgGs, or otherwise to increase the sialylation of IgGs (US Application Nos. 20080206246, and 20090004179, and Nimmerjahn et al. Annu Rev Immunol 26, 513-533 (2008)).
The present invention addresses and meets the above-mentioned needs by identifying sialylation-free anti-inflammatory polypeptides.